Carton

ABSTRACT

A carton serving as a package for a Transformable Pyramid, which is a built-up type intellectual teaching aid, is produced from a cardboard divided into two groups of four right triangular faces for folding into first and second pyramidal parts, respectively. The first and the second pyramidal parts in the folded state provide two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies connected and closable to each other to fitly enclose the Transformable Pyramid therein. Instructions of use and color strips showing outer appearance of the Transformable Pyramid may be printed on front and reverse surfaces of the eight faces of the carton. The carton therefore has the advantages of occupying a reduced space, and providing a fit package with instructions to facilitate display and promotion of the packaged goods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a carton, and more particularly to a carton for packaging a built-up type intellectual teaching aid named Transformable Pyramid.

[0002] The Transformable Pyramid is an intellectual teaching aid including a plurality of elements that could be freely assembled in many different ways to create differently shaped pyramids. With the specially designed geometrical shapes of the elements for the Transformable Pyramid, the elements may be built up to produce an eight-face body consisting of two bottom-connected pyramids. The Transformable Pyramid in the form of the 8-face dual-pyramid body can be more conveniently packaged, transported, and displayed without occupying too much space, as compared with the loose elements. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional carton 20 for packaging the Transformable Pyramid. The carton 20 includes a rectangular box 22 and a folded seat 24 disposed in the box 22. The folded seat 24 is formed through folding a rectangular cardboard in a predetermined manner to provide a valley 242 on a top thereof. FIG. 2 shows a Transformable Pyramid 10 in the shape of the 8-face dual-pyramid body is positioned in the carton 20. With the valley 242 on the top of the folded seat 24, the Transformable Pyramid 10 may be located in place in the box 22.

[0003] Although the valley 242 of the folded seat 24 enables the eight-face dual-pyramid body of the Transformable Pyramid 10 to stably locate in the box 22, the entire carton 20 uses a large quantity of cardboard to have a big overall volume. Such carton 20 requires increased freight and is not convenient for storage and display. The carton 20 has a cubic appearance that fails to present the beauty of the specially shaped Transformable Pyramid packaged therein. A clear window provided on the box 22 might be somewhat helpful to show the beauty of the Transformable Pyramid packaged in the carton 20, but the problems of the big-volume box 22 occupying a large space and wasting too many cardboard, and the high freight still exist. The conventional carton 20 also has the disadvantages of being uneasy to package and subjected to damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a carton having an improved structure consisting of integrally formed first and second pyramidal parts, which are open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies adapted to close to each other for fitly accommodating an individual Transformable Pyramid having an eight-face dual-pyramid body, so that an appearance of the carton in a closed state is the same as the Transformable Pyramid.

[0005] To achieve the above and other objects, the carton of the present invention mainly includes a cardboard divided into first and second groups of four right triangular faces that are sequentially connected to one another in a predetermined manner. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. The first group of four right triangular faces are folded along the folding lines thereof with a first and a last one of the four faces being locked together through engagement of tag and slit correspondingly provided on outer edges of the first and the last faces, such that a first open-bottomed four-face pyramidal part is formed.

[0006] The second group of four right triangular faces are also folded along the folding lines thereof with a first and a last one of the four faces being locked together through engagement of tag and slit correspondingly provided on outer edges of the first and the last faces, such that a second open-bottomed four-face pyramidal part is formed. The first and the second pyramidal part are connected to each other at a common edge between the first and the second group of four triangular faces, and the second pyramidal part is closable onto and locked to the first pyramidal part to produce an eight-face dual-pyramid carton through engagement of tags and slits provided on outer edges of three outer faces in the second group of four triangular faces with slits and tags provided on outer edges of three corresponding faces in the first group of four triangular faces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0008]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional carton for packaging things;

[0009]FIG. 2 shows the conventional packaging carton of FIG. 1 in use;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first cardboard for forming a carton of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 4 shows the manner of folding the first cardboard of FIG. 3 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 5 shows the use of the carton produced from the first cardboard of FIG. 3 to package things;

[0013]FIG. 6 shows an intellectual teaching aid named Transformable Pyramid that includes two pyramidal bodies connected at bottoms and therefore has eight faces;

[0014]FIG. 7 shows the use of the carton produced from the first cardboard of FIG. 3 to package a Transformable Pyramid;

[0015]FIG. 8 shows the carton of FIG. 7 in a closed state;

[0016]FIG. 9 shows a first example of printing patterns on the cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 10 shows another example of printing patterns on the cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 11 shows a carton of the present invention with patterns printed on faces thereof;

[0019]FIG. 12 shows a plurality of cardboards for producing the carton of the present invention in an orderly stacked state;

[0020]FIG. 13 is a plan view of a second cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 14 shows the first step of folding the second cardboard of FIG. 13 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 15 shows the second step of folding the second cardboard of FIG. 13 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 16 is a plan view of a third cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0024]FIG. 17 shows the first step of folding the third cardboard of FIG. 16 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0025]FIG. 18 shows the second step of folding the third cardboard of FIG. 16 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 19 is a plan view of a fourth cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0027]FIG. 20 shows the first step of folding the fourth cardboard of FIG. 19 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0028]FIG. 21 shows the second step of folding the fourth cardboard of FIG. 19 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0029]FIG. 22 is a plan view of a fifth cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0030]FIG. 23 shows the first step of folding the fifth cardboard of FIG. 22 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0031]FIG. 24 shows the second step of folding the fifth cardboard of FIG. 22 to produce the carton of the present invention;

[0032]FIG. 25 is a plan view of a sixth cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention;

[0033]FIG. 26 shows the first step of folding the sixth cardboard of FIG. 25 to produce the carton of the present invention; and

[0034]FIG. 27 shows the second step of folding the sixth cardboard of FIG. 25 to produce the carton of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Please refer to FIG. 3 that is a plan view of a first cardboard for producing a carton of the present invention. That is, FIG. 3 shows a carton of the present invention in a fully extended state. As shown, the first cardboard is divided into a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. Each of the triangular faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 has an area slightly larger than that of one pyramidal plane of the Transformable Pyramid. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces B1, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and of the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B.

[0036]FIG. 4 shows the first cardboard has been partially folded to produce the first pyramidal part A while the faces B1, B4 of the second pyramidal part B have not yet been connected together via engagement of the tag 2 with the slit 4. The first pyramidal part 4 includes four right triangular faces A1 to A4, among which adjacent faces A1 and A2 as well as adjacent faces A3 and A4 are respectively connected to each other at an edge between them to form two equilateral quadrilaterals, which are then mirror-symmetrically connected to each other at an edge between them. The second pyramidal part B also includes four right triangular faces B1 to B4 and is structurally identical to the first pyramidal part A. To produce from the first cardboard of FIG. 3 a carton having the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, first fold the cardboard along all folding lines or connecting edges among the faces A1 to A4, and then engage the tag 2 provided at one side of the face A1 with the slit 4 correspondingly provided at one side of the face A4 to connect the faces A1 and A4 together, so that an open-bottomed four-face pyramidal body, that is, the first pyramidal part A, is produced. Thereafter, another open-bottomed four-face pyramidal body, that is, the second pyramidal part B, is similarly produced by folding the cardboard along all folding lines or connecting edges among the faces B1 to B4, and then engage the tag 2 provided at one side of the face B1 with the slit 4 correspondingly provided at one side of the face B4 to connect the faces B1 and B4 together.

[0037]FIG. 5 shows a carton produced in the above steps described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 is used to package the Transformable Pyramid 10. The Transformable Pyramid 10 consists of a plurality of elements that can be freely assembled in many different ways. With the specially designed geometrical shapes, these elements could be assembled together to produce an eight-face dual-pyramid body, as shown in FIG. 6. After a carton having the above-described open-bottomed first and second pyramidal parts A, B is produced, the fully assembled Transformable Pyramid 10 is positioned in the first pyramidal part A, as shown in FIG. 7, and then the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A to enclose the Transformable Pyramid 10 between the parts A and B, as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 3, there are still other tags 2 separately provided on outer edges of the faces B2, B3, and B4, and other slits 4 separately provided on outer edges of the faces A2, A3, and A4. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, the tags 2 on the faces B2, B3, and B4 are adapted to engage with the slits on the faces A2, A3, and A4, and thereby lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A, keeping the carton in the form of an eight-face dual-pyramidal body that is best suitable for packaging and protecting the Transformable Pyramid 10 against becoming undesirably damaged and separated elements.

[0038] Please refer to FIGS. 9 and 10. It is possible to print on front and reverse sides of the eight faces of the cardboard for producing the carton of the present invention instructions C for use of the Transformable Pyramid 10 and color strips D representing the Transformable Pyramid 10 to highlight the beauty of product, that is, the Transformable Pyramid, enclosed in the carton, so that the carton is more suitable for display to promote selling of the enclosed product. FIG. 11 shows a completed carton of the present invention with instructions C and color strips D printed thereon to achieve the purposes of packaging, displaying, and providing operation guide at the same time.

[0039]FIG. 12 shows a large number of the fully extended cardboards having specially arranged eight right triangular faces for producing the eight-face dual-pyramid carton of the present invention can be orderly stacked to occupy a largely reduced space that facilitates transportation, storage, and manufacture of the dual-pyramid cartons at reduced costs.

[0040] FIGS. 13 to 15, 16 to 18, 19 to 21, 22 to 24, and 25 to 27 sequentially illustrate another five embodiments of the cardboard for producing the eight-face dual-pyramid carton of the present invention.

[0041] In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the cardboard includes a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 (see FIG. 13) for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces BI, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, as shown in FIG. 14. The completed first and second pyramidal parts A, B are connected to each other at the edge between the faces A2 and B2, as shown in FIG. 15. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, it is possible to engage tags 2 provided on the faces B1, B3, and B4 with slits on the faces A1, A3, and A4 to lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A and thereby keep the carton in the form of the eight-face dual-pyramidal body.

[0042] In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the cardboard includes a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 (see FIG. 16) for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces B1, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, as shown in FIG. 17. The completed first and second pyramidal parts A, B are connected to each other at the edge between the faces A2 and B3, as shown in FIG. 18. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, it is possible to engage tags 2 provided on the faces B1, B2, and B4 with slits on the faces A4, A1, and A3 to lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A and thereby keep the carton in the form of the eight-face dual-pyramidal body.

[0043] In the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, the cardboard includes a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 (see FIG. 19) for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces B1, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, as shown in FIG. 20. The completed first and second pyramidal parts A, B are connected to each other at the edge between the faces A1 and B2, as shown in FIG. 21. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, it is possible to engage tags 2 provided on the faces B1, B3, and B4 with slits on the faces A2, A4, and A3 to lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A and thereby keep the carton in the form of the eight-face dual-pyramidal body.

[0044] In the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, the cardboard includes a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 (see FIG. 22) for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces B1, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, as shown in FIG. 23. The completed first and second pyramidal parts A, B are connected to each other at the edge between the faces A1 and B1, as shown in FIG. 24. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, it is possible to engage tags 2 provided on the faces B2, B3, and B4 with slits on the faces A4, A3, and A2 to lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A and thereby keep the carton in the form of the eight-face dual-pyramidal body.

[0045] In the sixth embodiment shown in FIGS. 25 to 27, the cardboard includes a first group of faces A1 to A4 and a second group of faces B1 to B4 (see FIG. 25) for forming a first pyramidal part A and a second pyramidal part B, respectively, of the carton. The faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are eight sequentially connected right triangles. An edge between any two adjacent faces is a folding line along which the cardboard may be folded. After the first and the second group of faces A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 are separately folded along the folding lines provided thereon, the two faces A1, A4 and the two faces B1, B4 are respectively connected together by engaging tags 2 with slits 4 correspondingly provided at outer edges of the faces A1, A4 and the faces B1, B4 to produce two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies, that is, the first and the second pyramidal part A, B, as shown in FIG. 26. The completed first and second pyramidal parts A, B are connected to each other at the edge between the faces A1 and B3, as shown in FIG. 27. When the second pyramidal part B is closed onto the first pyramidal part A, it is possible to engage tags 2 provided on the faces B1, B2, and B4 with slits on the faces A3, A2, and A4 to lock the second pyramidal part B to the first pyramidal part A and thereby keep the carton in the form of the eight-face dual-pyramidal body.

[0046] In brief, the present invention is a carton serving as a package for a Transformable Pyramid, which is a built-up type intellectual teaching aid, and being produced from a cardboard divided two groups of four right triangular faces for folding into first and second pyramidal parts, respectively; and the first and the second pyramidal parts in the folded state provide two open-bottomed four-face pyramidal bodies connected and closable to each other to fitly enclose the Transformable Pyramid therein. And, instructions of use and color strips showing outer appearance of the Transformable Pyramid may be printed on front and reverse surfaces of the eight faces of the carton to highlight the packaged product.

[0047] The following are some of the advantages of the present invention:

[0048] 1. The cardboard for producing the carton is minimized to meet the requirement of environmental protection.

[0049] 2. Storage space and manufacturing and freight costs for the carton are reduced.

[0050] 3. The carton is adapted to fitly package the product and thereby protect the packaged product from becoming undesirably damaged and separated elements.

[0051] 4. The carton with instructions of use of the Transformable Pyramid printed on both sides enables saving of additional cost for printing separate instruction sheets.

[0052] 5. The carton has shape and dimensions matching with those of the packaged product and is printed with color strips representing the Transformable Pyramid to highlight the beauty of the packaged product, and is therefore helpful in display and promotion of the packaged product.

[0053] 6. Cardboard before being folded into the cartons can be orderly stacked.

[0054] 7. The carton in a fully extended state may be kept as a useful operating manual instead of being arbitrarily discarded. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A carton adapted to package an eight-face dual-pyramid product, which is commercially referred to as Transformable Pyramid, comprising a cardboard divided into first and second groups of four right triangular faces that are sequentially connected to one another in a predetermined manner, and an edge between any two said faces adjacent to each other being a folding line along which said cardboard may be folded; said first group of four right triangular faces being folded along said folding lines provided thereon, and a first and a last one of said four faces being locked together through engagement of tag and slit correspondingly provided on outer edges of said first and said last faces, such that a first open-bottomed four-face pyramidal part is formed; and said second group of four right triangular faces being folded along said folding lines provided thereon, and a first and a last one of said four faces being locked together through engagement of tag and slit correspondingly provided on outer edges of said first and said last faces, such that a second open-bottomed four-face pyramidal part is formed; said first and said second pyramidal part being connected to each other at a common edge between said first and said second group of four triangular faces; and said second pyramidal part being closable onto and locked to said first pyramidal part to produce an eight-face dual-pyramid carton through engagement of tags and slits provided on outer edges of three outer faces in said second group of four triangular faces with slits and tags correspondingly provided on outer edges of three outer faces in said first group of four triangular faces.
 2. The carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said four right triangular faces in said first group for forming said first pyramidal part include two pairs of adjacent faces that are connected to each other at a common edge between them to form an equilateral quadrilateral, and said two equilateral quadrilaterals are mirror-symmetrically connected to each other at a common edge between them; and said four right triangular faces in said second group for forming said second pyramidal part being structurally identical to that in said first group.
 3. The carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said right triangular faces has an area slightly larger than that of each pyramidal plane of said Transformable Pyramid to be packaged in said carton. 